Irish and Choctaw

Today I am going to share the story of the help the Irish received during the potato famine from the Choctaw Nation, this alliance still holds great importance in Ireland today. In one of the articles you will see a sculpture that was erected at Bailick Park in Midleton, County Cork (I was able to see it when visiting family in Cork in 2016) called the Kindred Spirits Scuplture. It was opened in the fall of 2015 and is meant to be a tribute of thanks to the Choctaw Nation for their help and generosity during the potato famine. As my own way of thanking the Choctaw Nation, and remembering their extreme generosity in giving to the Irish, each Christmas we choose a family to help through the Holidays. We don’t give exclusively to a Choctaw family, this year we did it through Okini Holiday list which was to support Lakota families and youth by providing gifts and treats for a specific family. This is my way to give back, to remember, and recognize the Choctaw and the complete selflessness they showed when they themselves were being forced off their lands.

https://xyuandbeyond.com/irish-famine-and-the-choctaw-on-the-trail-of-tears/

http://theconversation.com/how-a-small-american-indian-tribe-came-to-give-an-incredible-gift-to-irish-famine-sufferers-98742

Someone I encourage you to research is Waylon Gary White Deer a member of the Choctaw Nation who now lives in Ireland. He has a wonderful book that I would recommend called “Touched by Thunder” that is a kind of autobiography/memoir he wrote since moving to Ireland. Attached below is an Irish news article about Waylon Gary White Deer that I thought might be a good read and has some great points from him.

https://www.derryjournal.com/news/gary-whitedeer-one-man-s-affinity-with-ireland-s-great-hunger-1-6907217

This is not my photo but it is one I love of the Kindred Spirit Sculpture and the way the light casts the shadows on the ground.